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| Keeping Up With Bertie On A Flying Visit To Gorey | |
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| Tweet Topic Started: May 4 2007, 12:36 PM (117 Views) | |
| JoanneVIP | May 4 2007, 12:36 PM Post #1 |
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THE BOSS
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'Howaya Bertie!' roared the man in the white van on Esmonde Street in Gorey last Friday evening. The Taoiseach smiled and waved, and strode on. It was a case of 'Following the Leader', as an assorted band of candidates, Councillors, party activists, election staff, and breathless media, briskly walked, in some cases, trotted, or even ran after Bertie Ahern TD as he made a flying visit to Gorey on Friday evening last. Still yet to pull his early Sunday morning surprise election date announcement, this was a man who was already firmly in election mode. He arrived in North Wexford, taking a spin on the nearly completed Gorey bypass, from the Clough roundabout up as far as the first intersection, and greeted the waiting party followers and officials from Wexford County Council, the NRA and contractors Roadbridge Ltd. 'You can't complain I don't get you good roads,' he joked as he greeted local supporters. 'Welcome to the Bridge of Allen,' announced Cllr. Lorcan Allen, explaining to An Taoiseach, that the bypass was cutting through his lands at Raheenagurren. 'It goes straight through the middle of me,' he said. 'If only they'd pay for the land we'd be right,' he added. Speaking to the Gorey Guardian, Bertie welcomed the fact that the bypass would be opening four months ahead of schedule. The opening date is currently pencilled in for July 5. 'It's a great bit of engineering,' he said, pointing out that many road projects were now coming in under the envisaged time. 'We have thirty projects moving at the moment,' he stated, adding that the New Ross and Enniscorthy bypasses were planned in the coming years. 'From here to Dublin now, the road is top class and safe,' he said. 'These roads are proven to be far safer than existing roads. All you have to do is be careful. I'm delighted this road will be done by the summer'. The train of cars then left the bypass at the intersection, travelling in to Gorey by Millands. Fine Gael supporters who had been waiting to greet Bertie with three large billboards on the backs of trucks at the Monument, were apparently tipped off that Bertie had managed to bypass them, and their vehicles timed it perfectly to be passing the Millands junction as the Taoiseach's car arrived on the Courtown Road. Seemingly the moving billboards had been omnipresent throughout the Taoiseach's afternoon in County Wexford. A quick bypass of the traffic on Esmonde Street, brought the visitors to a halt at Pettitt's carpark, where Cllr. Allen, brought Bertie down a blind alleyway to sign a wedding card for eighty-year-old Paddy Murphy from Ballyfad who got married that day. 'Congratulations on the new arrivals,' said a group of women as Bertie began his walkabout. The births of twins to his daughter Georgina and son-in-law Nicky Byrne of Westlife, earned the Taoiseach several warm wishes from people as the evening went on. 'He's a lovely man,' said Marea Keegan from Sean Lios in Gorey, who gave him a big hug and a kiss on Main Street. 'I've been waiting since half four to see him'. Bertie then led the election party on a merry dance around Pettitt's surprising staff and customers, and those keeping track of the handshakes soon lost count. Then it was off down Main Street and down Esmonde Street to Tesco where another lap of the store led to another frantic handshaking session. By now most trailing behind him had broken into a sweat, except of course Bertie, who apparently never breaks into a sweat for any reason. All along the way he introduced candidates Sean Connick, Lisa McDonald and John Browne to everyone he met. 'Are we going to have an election?' asked one man at the meat counter. 'Very soon' replied Bertie. 'If we could have it in the morning, we'd get it finished.' He was diverted from his waiting car by Cllr. Lorcan Allen, who invited him to his local Bridge Bar. Bertie duly obliged much to the consternation of his staff who were on a very tight schedule. He squeezed into the Friday evening crowd in the pub to shake more hands before taking off in his Merc to do it all again in Arklow. SOurce : Gitta @ http://www.nishakimabry.de.vu/ |
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| jlovenicky | May 4 2007, 12:38 PM Post #2 |
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Jacqueline
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Thanks for posting, Jo :D |
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| JoanneVIP | May 4 2007, 01:16 PM Post #3 |
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THE BOSS
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np |
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12:50 AM Jul 11